Goal for theRobertson News - To produce the Robertson News in a way that is sustainable, community focused and efficient.

· Sustainable

o Financially sustainable i.e. it should make a profit – profits go towards the running costs of the CTC including the infrastructure that supports the production of the Robertson News (admin support, office equipment and supplies etc) and to assist with other community services provided by the CTC

o Volunteer time sustainable – it should be produced without becoming an unreasonable burden on volunteers

o Environmentally sustainable – avoiding unnecessary use of resources

· Community focussed

o Robertson community and immediate surrounds is the main target audience

o The broader audience is the Southern Highlands community – a chance to promote Robertson

o It should support the community, including volunteer not-for-profit community organisations – forming partnerships where possible

o It should seek to include a wide range of community information, events and diverse world views

o It should avoid causing harm or discord in the community

o It should seek feedback from the community

o The voice of the Robertson News should not be an individual or the CTC

o It should encourage celebration of community and individual achievements

o It should assist local businesses to promote themselves and what they have to offer

· Efficient

o Systems should be in place to ensure the Robertson News gets out on time

o Workflow should be well defined so that everyone knows their role

o There should be a good system for recording the receipt of contributions to ensure they are not missed

o A system for consistent distribution should be in place

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The Robertson News aims to be neutral, independent, fair and accurate.

· Neutral – not taking a particular view or pushing a particular opinion

· Independent – not unduly influenced by any person, organisation or business

· Fair – trying to ensure a range of points of view are represented – including both sides of a story

· Accurate – making every effort to check facts and to ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors